THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-May 27, 2017- Topic 2
The chill in Brussels
It was not
a summit to indulge the nostalgia of a painstakingly nurtured post-War
partnership between the U.S. and Europe. Nor was it an occasion to pronounce
declarations of mutual solidarity to face up to an uncertain world. Such
political and diplomatic language might, in any case, have struck an especially
awkward note when leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation gathered in
Brussels, given the very public airing of differences on the notion of a shared
trans-Atlantic vision by U.S. President Donald Trump since his election
campaign.
Soon after his election, he reportedly enquired from the president of
the European Council, Donald Tusk, which country was next in line to quit the
European Union after Britain voted last June to leave. In turn, his election
had been received in European Union circles with considerable dismay, if not
disbelief. German Chancellor Angela Merkel even spelt out, in quite candid
terms, the political basis of the EU’s future engagement with Washington in her
letter of congratulations to Mr. Trump.
While the
alliance represents the military and security interests of the member-states,
NATO member-countries are, in several other global forums, also knit together
by an overarching commitment to preserve the liberal democratic world order
they crafted in the aftermath of the Second World War. Against this backdrop,
it was reasonable, at the minimum, to expect Mr. Trump to explicitly endorse
the alliance’s pledge of mutual defence under Article 5. Yet, in a familiar
replay of the “America First” script, the summit on May 25 was reduced by Mr.
Trump to brass-tacks matters of burden-sharing among the 28-member alliance and
apportioning blame. Indeed, compliance with the treaty stipulation of a
contribution of 2% of gross domestic product by individual states has been far
from satisfactory, with the U.S. shouldering the bulk of the burden. The
provision has even proved controversial, with Germany and other countries
voicing scepticism about increasing NATO’s defence budget. However, the fact
that the issue of “chronic underpayments” to NATO should have almost dominated
proceedings in Mr. Trump’s first overseas engagement with America’s European
allies shows a lack of sense of the occasion and diplomatic finesse on his
part. The overall stance has understandably caused considerable concern among
European leaders, with prospects for the Paris climate agreement and revival of
world trade looking bleak on Mr. Trump’s watch. The hope is that Washington
would at some point tone down its rhetoric on the contentious questions. A more
accommodative stance vis-Ã -vis China and a willingness to renegotiate the U.S.
trade agreement with Canada and Mexico seem to be signs of a course-correction.
European leaders must hope he will move nearer to the traditional U.S. line on
trans-Atlantic issues too.
Vocabulary
Indulge: allow
oneself to enjoy the pleasure of.
Example: We
indulged in some hot fudge sundaes
Synonyms: wallow in, give oneself up
to, give way to, yield to
Nostalgia: a
sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period
or place with happy personal associations.
Example: I was
overcome with acute nostalgia for my days in college
Synonyms: reminiscence, remembrance, recollection, wistfulness
Struck: hit
forcibly and deliberately with one's hand or a weapon or other implement.
Example: He raised
his hand, as if to strike me
Synonyms: bang, beat, hit, bash, wallop
Awkward: causing or
feeling embarrassment or inconvenience.
Example: He had put
her in a very awkward situation
Synonyms: embarrassing, uncomfortable, unpleasant, delicate, tricky
Notion: an impulse
or desire, especially one of a whimsical kind.
Example: She had a
notion to call her friend at work
Synonyms: impulse, inclination, whim, desire, wish, fancy
Dismay: cause
someone to feel consternation and distress.
Example: They were
dismayed by the U-turn in policy
Synonyms: appall, horrify, shock, shake
up, disconcert, take aback
Aftermath: the
consequences or aftereffects of a significant unpleasant event.
Example: Food
prices soared in the aftermath of the drought
Synonyms: repercussions, aftereffects, consequences, effects
Endorse: declare
one's public approval or support of.
Example: The report
was endorsed by the college
Scepticism: a
skeptical attitude; doubt as to the truth of something.
Example: These
claims were treated with skepticism
Synonyms: doubt, doubtfulness, a pinch of
salt, disbelief, cynicism
Willingness: the
quality or state of being prepared to do something.
Example: The
ability and willingness of workers to migrate
Synonyms: readiness, inclination, will, wish, desire, alacrity
Renegotiate: negotiate
something again in order to change the original agreed terms.
Example: The
parties will renegotiate the price
